Hearing assistance devices use earbuds, which are devices inserted, at least partially, in the ear. Some earbuds, also referred to as earpieces or earplugs, include or otherwise position a speaker, also referred to as a receiver, to produce sound for the user. Some earbuds are used to secure an end of a sound tube, such as may be used with a behind the ear (BTE) hearing aid.
Earbuds can be made of a material capable of conforming to the user's ear. Earbuds can have a closed ear design, or have an open ear design in which the earbud has openings. The opening allows the user to hear ambient sounds, along with the sound presented to the ear by the hearing assistance device. Open ear designs using soft, conforming material provide structural challenges. There exists in the art a need for improved earbud designs that improve the structural strength of open earbud designs.